Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

In the Garden: Blend of gardening, quilting

The Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens are filled with historically accurate plantings and structures. (Susan Mulvihill)

This is the first time I’ve been able to write about two passions of mine, gardening and quilting, in the same column. On Saturday, there is a special event that will blend those two delightful pursuits, all for the benefit of the Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens on Spokane’s lower South Hill.

It’s called Art in Bloom: Flowers, Fabric and Friends, and features stunning flower arrangements that complement beautiful quilts. The event will be inside Corbin Art Center from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Art in Bloom is the brainchild of Karen Gendron, the event chairwoman. “I’d seen an exhibit at the art museum in New Orleans where they paired paintings with floral designs,” she explained. “I liked how they combined two different palettes, which was very creative. We decided to go with quilts since quilting and gardening are big in Spokane.”

The arrangements will be created by local floral designers. There will be 15 diverse quilts on display made by Terry Engleman, Sherry Thompson, Florence Coffey, Carolyn Carpenter, Pam Soliday, Janet Nesbitt and Karen Gendron.

These quilters are highly respected for their beautiful work. As a matter of fact, Engleman will be the featured quilter at next month’s quilt show put on by the Washington State Quilters. Thompson’s work was featured at last year’s show and Coffey’s quilts were showcased in 2002.

Four of Engleman’s quilts – which are traditional, appliquéd designs – were selected for Art in Bloom. “I really like the idea of pairing two different media, cloth and flowers,” she said.

Two of Carpenter’s quilts were accepted, both of which are art quilts rather than traditional designs.

“One is a circular quilt called ‘Spin,’ ” she said. “I can’t wait to see the flowers they pair it with because it’s neat to have two different artists involved in an exhibit.”

Toi Mulligan of The Gilded Lily florist will teach a floral design class at 10 a.m.

If you’re not familiar with the Moore-Turner Heritage Gardens, this is the perfect opportunity to see them firsthand. Located next to the Corbin Art Center at Seventh Avenue and Stevens Street, they were originally created in the 1890s by Mr. and Mrs. Frank Rockwood Moore and redesigned in the early 1900s by Sen. and Mrs. George Turner.

The Moore-Turner home was demolished during the Depression era and the gardens were soon reclaimed by nature. After an ice storm in the 1990s, the gardens were rediscovered.

Between 2005 and 2007, they were restored to their former glory. Features include perennial gardens, rose and wisteria arbors, iris plantings, a tea house gazebo, pond, pergola and spectacular city views.

There will be tours of the gardens during the event, although attendees also are invited to stroll through them on their own. Proceeds from Art in Bloom will go toward continued garden maintenance and construction of a future restroom.

“The gardens are a treasure,” Gendron said. “It’s really a personal garden that is so different from the other parks in Spokane. The plants are historically accurate for the period. More folks should come see this little gem.”

Susan Mulvihill can be reached via email at inthegarden@live.com. Visit her blog at susansinthegarden.blogspot.com and Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ susansinthegarden for more gardening information.